2_Tennessee Titans2

St Louis Rams Gameday HQ

Titans Defense
The 2014 offseason will be marked by the departure of
Alterraun Verner to Tampa Bay. Among the candidates in-house
that are looking to replace the Pro Bowl cornerback are Coty
Sensabaugh, Tommie Campbell and Blidi Wreh-Wilson. Whoever
wins the spot vacated by Verner will be playing alongside Jason
McCourty, who has started every game he has played in over
the last three seasons. There is talent within this group, but
there is a lot of inexperience as well. The secondary will take
a hit after losing a player of Verner’s caliber but will hope that
additions along the defensive front will take the pressure off
of the back end.
One of the veterans that the team brought in is linebacker
Shaun Phillips. While he just turned 33 in May, Phillips has
shown in recent years that he has a lot of football left to play
in his 6-3, 255-pound frame. He is coming off a year where he
had ten sacks for the Broncos. The pressure that he provides off
the edge will surely free up defensive lineman Jurrell Casey to
wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks after he broke out for 10.5
sacks in his third year in the league. The Titans will look for the
same production out of Casey, especially now with another edge
rusher on the roster.
Phillips is not the only player that the Titans plundered from
the Bronco defense in free agency this year. Inside linebacker
Wesley Woodyard makes his way to Tennessee after six seasons
in the Mile High City. Over the past two seasons, Woodyard
has combined for over 200 tackles. Affectionately known as
“The Lumberjack,” the Titans hope he can lead a young group of
linebackers while holding the fort until less experienced players,
Zach Brown and Akeem Ayers, find their way.
Defensive Player to Watch
Casey had a strong 2013 campaign. After starting his first two
years with a total of 5.5 sacks, he finished last season with nearly
double that total and is looking to improve upon those numbers
with the addition of Phillips to provide a steady rush on the
outside. Casey comes into the season 15 pounds lighter now that
he is being asked to play defensive end in a 3-4 defense. Given
how he played last year, more responsibility is being placed on his
shoulders to prove that his year was not a fluke. How he performs
in this new position could make-or-break the Titans front seven.
Titans Special Teams
The Titans released kicker Rob Bironas in the offseason,
so establishing who the primary kicker will be is obviously a
pressing issue. As of now, Maikon Bonani has a leg up on the
competition as he impressed coaches last training camp with
his strong leg. As is the case with most young placekickers,
accuracy is a question with him. Meanwhile, the Titans are a
little more stable at punter with Brett Kern handling the job
effectively last year.
The Titans’ return game should be interesting to watch.
Dexter McCluster automatically improves the punt return
team as he has shown to be one of the better returners in the
league over the last few seasons. The primary kick returner will
come down to oft-injured Marc Mariani and former Pro Bowler
Leon Washington.
Prediction:
The Titans will need to ride the strength of their offensive line
to open up holes for their running backs and give time for Locker
to find his receivers downfield. A playoff appearance is not out of
the realm of possibility for this team in transition.
Key Additions:
LB Wesley Woodyard, OT Michael Oher, LB
Shaun Phillips, RB/PR Dexter McCluster
Key Subtractions:
RB Chris Johnson, CB Alterraun Verner, WR
Kenny Britt, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
Rookies:
T Taylor Lewan, RB Bishop Sankey, DT
DaQuan Jones, S Marqueston Huff, LB Avery
Williamson, QB Zach Mettenberger
SCOREBOARD
Jake Locker
DILIP VISHWANAT/GETTY IMAGES SPORT
2013 2012 2011 2010 2009
Playoff Finish - - - - -
Regular Season W-L 7-9 6-10 9-7 6-10 8-8
Points Per Game 22.63 20.63 20.31 22.25 22.13
Points Allowed Per Game 23.81 29.44 19.81 21.19 25.13
Yards Per Game 336.88 313.13 335.06 302.13 351.44
Yards Allowed Per Game 337.94 374.94 355.13 367.69 365.63
Turnovers 20 28 25 26 28
Takeaways 25 24 23 25 27